Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 12, 2010
Pin Strikes rolls into town with variety of attractions for every age
Erica Tuggle
Claudio Rondon and Larry Bielski, general contractors for W Rondon/Architects Construction Group LLC, discuss the finishing touches for the Pin Strikes facility on the couches that replace the traditional hard seating of typical bowling allies. Pin Strikes opened Nov. 10 as a multi-activity family entertainment center that includes indoor bumper cars, two-story laser tag, the Splitz Bar and Grill, an arcade with over 70 games, a “Balladium” and, of course, plenty of knock down family fun bowling.
- Erica Tuggle
The phone lines had only been turned on for three hours, and Pin Strikes had already received 20 calls. By 10 a.m. the week before Pin Strikes opened, they had eight birthday parties and one corporate event booked. Needless to say, Chattanooga was a little anxious for Pin Strikes to open its doors.
Now in its first week of operation, Pin Strikes is sure to be the place for everyone looking for a fun time. Although Pin Strikes has the safety measures in place to allow young-adults to be dropped off for a night of fun, adults probably would do best to venture into Pin Strikes as well and enjoy the activities designed with them and the whole family in mind.
This facility, built by W. Rondon/Architects Construc-tion Group LLC, is a multi-function family activity center, which means that unlike the old style bowling centers, that just offer bowling, this facility will be the place for birthday parties, corporate parties and variations on a fun night out. Unlike bowling alleys that have to turn away patrons due to a full house of league play, Pin Strikes doesn’t focus on leagues.
Michael Dean, the general manager of Pin Strikes, says that league play is probably the smallest percentage of revenue that comes in the building and instead the focus of Pin Strikes is on groups and birthday parties. He says in a normal weekend, a Pin Strikes facility has seven to 14 birthday parties each day of the weekend.
What makes Pin Strikes so appealing to so many is their one-stop-shop nature. Within the Chattanooga facility, there is a two-story laser tag arena, bumper cars, a unique game called Balladium, a full arcade, a restaurant including a fully-stocked bar and lanes of bowling that turn completely cosmic on the weekends.
Dean says, “That’s really our focus – to make it someplace where it doesn’t just have to be kids. If a family of four wants to come, there is so much for them to do. If the parents want to sit in the bar and have a drink and relax, then they can do that while the kids are running around. It is a safe place.”
Dean says Pin Strikes doesn’t allow loitering and keeps a good eye on what is going on in the building to make sure no one is coming in that will cause problems. They even provide off duty sheriff’s officers for security on Friday and Saturday nights to ensure that this will be a safe and fun place for everyone, he says.
Dean has been with Pin Strikes for almost four years now at the Stockbridge, Ga. location as their food and beverage director. When Pin Strikes started planning for the Chattanooga location and offered him the general manager position to move here with his family, he leapt on the opportunity.
He says the Chattanooga location is a continuation of the Pin Strikes service for families in a fun place to go as well as the first of the Pin Strikes expansion efforts that will soon result in their third location in Macon, Ga. and then hopefully more centers in time.
“This is something, knowing what I know about this area, that this area needs,” Dean says. “It is a suped-up version of where parents usually take their kids to parties like Chuck E. Cheese’s. And those are great places…but they have just the one activity. There is only so many times you can take your kids to Chuck E. Cheese’s before they say it’s the same thing, don’t want to do that again.”
Pin Strikes is definitely not like anything else Chattanooga knows. The Pin Strikes slogan is “It’s Knock Down Family Fun,” and this rings especially true in their Balladium, a one of a kind ball blasting game for kids over the age of four-years-old, played in black light with lots of UV foam balls, 3D props and music, as two teams compete to hit each other’s targets. All materials used in Balladium are made with safety in mind, from the arena design, to carpeting, props and foam balls.
Leave the quarters at home, because there’s also the latest technology when it comes to the arcade games. All games are played using a debit card that can be loaded with a certain dollar amount at Pin Strikes, and then the tickets earned from playing these games are good for a variety of prizes.
The food at the Splitz Bar and Grill will also be something to look forward to in dishes that are more than typical lounge food. These include nachos piled high with topping after topping, buffalo wings, quesadillas and more.
Dean says he is most looking forward to seeing the reaction to their two-story laser tag facility. This will be bigger than the one at Pin Strikes in Georgia and unlike anything in the area, Dean says. This activity and others can be included in customizable birthday party packages. He says you can find the party package you want on the Pin Strikes Web site.
The basic staff for Pin Strikes has been hired, with over 80 people at the recent orientation. Although, Dean says, in the natural way of business, some that don’t show up for training or can’t take the position will be weeded out, opening up the opportunity for more hiring in the next few days.
“With three different activities, plus the bowling and then add in the arcade and the bar and the restaurant, you really have something that can reinvent itself three or four times so you don’t have the same exact party or the same exact experience every time,” Dean says. “That’s our hope – that it starts out really, really strong and it will continue to go strong because we have so much to offer.”
For more information visit www.pinstrikes1.com.
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